The fall semester at the University of New Mexico started last week with the launch of a new program with an innovative curriculum designed to help students acquire not only knowledge in core subjects but also learn particular skills in order to be successful in the workforce. These include leadership skills, such as supervising, team building, goal setting, planning, decision making and ethical judgement, and higher-order thinking, such as critical thinking, problem-solving and creative thinking. Skills reflective of emotional intelligence, such as self-discipline, self-awareness, persistence, empathy, interpersonal communication and collaborative abilities, and personal qualities such as honesty, adaptability, and a strong work ethic are equally important, as are job-related technology skills. These skills can and should be learned whether students are pursuing a degree in a STEM discipline or liberal arts, fine arts, or business discipline. The best way to foster these skills consistently among a large student population is through more inter/multidisciplinary, problem-based, learn-by-doing experiences. Interested? Visit the Innovation Academy website at http://innovationacademy.unm.edu/index.html. See program contact information below:
Innovation Academy
Scholes Hall Room 240
MSC05 3400
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
505-277-1577
Dr. Robert DelCampo, Executive Director, Innovation Academy
505-277-0018
delcampo@unm.edu
Also see Katherine Mozzone’s August 25, 2015 online news report, “Unique UNM program aims to teach students about innovation, creativity,” from KRQE News 13 at http://krqe.com/2015/08/25/unique-unm-program-aims-to-teach-kids-about-innovation-creativity/.